Bolton's ex-Arsenal starlet tipped to reach the Premier League by Luton chief
Town take on an in-form Trotters side at Kenilworth Road
Luton boss Jack Wilshere has tipped Bolton Wanderers’ exciting attacker Amario Cozier-Duberry to go all the way to the top having worked closely with him when he was in charge of the Arsenal U18s.
The 20-year-old moved to the Emirates Stadium when he was just 14 back in 2019, as he went on to earn international honours with England at U16 to U19 level, also part of the Gunners side that was managed by Wilshere who reached the FA Youth Cup Final, beaten 5-1 by West Ham United in 2023. Cozier-Duberry headed to fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion in 2024, spending last term on loan with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, as he was then sent to try his luck in League One by the Seagulls, heading to the Toughsheet Community Stadium in the summer.
His loan spell with the Trotters has been nothing short of spectacular as well, leading the way for goals and assists in the division with 12, finding the net six times, creating another six goals for his team-mates. He is also responsible for 30 chances, the third highest, seven of them big opportunities as well. On facing his former youngster that he once described as ‘unplayable’, Wilshere said: “He’s a top player, someone that when I came to Arsenal, he was a second year scholar and I probably had him for a couple of months in the U18s, but then it was clear that he was ready to take the next step and he went to the 21s.
"He only really played with me after that in the Youth Cup, but a top kid first of all, a top person, very hungry, very humble. Everyone can see his ability. In my opinion he can play in the Championship now, maybe even Premier League with the stuff he’s doing, but he’s someone whose development over the next few years will be interesting for everyone to watch as in my opinion he can play at the top. He’s at a good club and a club that I know well, and yes, he’s someone we have to look at.
"I think the message for the players is to focus on us. Of course we have to understand their strengths and there’s a few things we have to do in order to stop him and stop their transitions, stop their moments where they can find him, but I want us to have the ball and attack in different ways. Play a little bit longer, sometimes play, and of course, we’re aware of Amario and the threat he brings, but we also have to focus on ourselves.”
It’s not just Cozier-Duberry that Luton have to be wary of though, with former Chelsea youngster Mason Burstow, on loan from Hull City, up to seven goals as well and second for goals and assists in the division, having racked up 10 so far. With the pair helping their side up to sixth in the table, and on a run of six games unbeaten in all competitions, Wilshere knows it will represent an incredibly difficult challenge for his side to overcome.
He continued: “That’s the key thing as well, I know everyone will be talking about Amario, but don’t be fooled, on the left hand side they have quality as well and the nine is quality. They have good players in midfield who can make passes and find these guys, so it’s going to take a real team effort. We can’t focus solely, we know Amario is a threat, but they have threats all over the pitch, so we have to be ready for them. We have to respect them and in my opinion they’re one of the best teams in the league with some really good individual players, but collectively as well.
"I’ve watched a lot of them this week, they’re a hard-working team, well coached, but in a way I think it suits us as well. We spoke about struggling to play against a block, struggling to break that down. I think you’ll see more of a football game and let’s try our best to try and win the individual battles to try and stop them, but also focus on ourselves a little bit as we’ve got some good players. We’ve got some players that can hurt them and we have to be confident going into the game that we can do that.”